School Vision & Christian Values
At St Barnabas we aim:
- To offer a well-balanced education, placing an emphasis on developing the whole child.
- To foster a love of learning, ensuring children strive for academic, artistic and sporting excellence
- To encourage children to be happy, confident and respectful young people who make a positive contribution to society.
Our Vision
Our mission is deeply rooted in our foundational scripture: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." We encourage every person to step through our doors encountering hope and love. We strive to build relationships based on service to one another and all. We seek to open doors to new learning; to inspire, nurture curiosity and prepare children for their futures. We wholeheartedly pursue a belief in the potential of everyone, with dedication to creating an environment where life is experienced in all its fullness.
St Barnabas’ School was established on St Barnabas’ Day in 1847 for the “instruction of five hundred poor children and the maintenance of twelve orphan girls”.
St Barnabas’ is known as the son of encouragement. He is known as an apostle (one who is sent) who was sent out by the church with Paul on many missionary journeys. St Barnabas is first mentioned in Acts 14:
Paul and Barnabas’ encourage the disciples and give them strength to remain loyal to their faith:
“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
As St Barnabas’ was known as the Son of Encouragement, our vision supports the school’s original foundation of serving the local community and encouraging the pupils within their education at the school.
Symbols of St Barnabas include: a pilgrim’s staff, olive branch and a shell.
The shell is, in the context of us, is linked to Barnabas being a traveller (including the staff) and spending time/final part of his life on Cyprus. He is often depicted holding Matthew’s gospel, because this is what he carried around with him and was also buried with.
We use St Barnabas’ symbol of a shell to support our school vision. Our school vision statement is based on the acronym of SHELL:
Serve with Hope and Encouragement to Learn and Love
The bible verse that has been chosen to support our school vision is:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
This verse has been chosen as St Barnabas’ carried St Matthew’s Gospel with him (in our school logo) and this verse supports the idea of pupil and staff self-encouragement and encouragement within the wider school community. It also demonstrates the encouragement to progress onto the next stage of learning with doors being opened for pupils and staff. The bible verse also supports our other school values of service and hope, love and learning.
The school vision has a close link to the vision/mission of St Barnabas’ Church:
“Serving and Encouraging since 1850”
Collect for the Feast of St Barnabas
"Bountiful God, giver of all gifts, who poured your Spirit upon your servant St Barnabas and gave him grace to encourage others: help us, by his example, to be generous in our judgments and unselfish in our service; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Our Christian Values that support our school vision are:
- Serve (service)
- Hope
- Encouragement
- Learn (wisdom)
- Love
These Christian Values are the focus of weekly Collective Worship and through daily life at school. Our policies, school rules and decisions we make are through the values of service, hope, encouragement, love and learning.